1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device and method, and particularly to a technique of controlling backlight luminance of a transmissive display panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been provided a liquid crystal display device having a function (backlight local dimming (BLD) function) of individually controlling a backlight luminance of each of segments of a backlight unit provided in a back face of a liquid crystal panel (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-097909 (PTL 1)).
The liquid crystal display device controls backlight luminance for each of areas so that the backlight luminance increases in a bright area of an image and decreases in a dark area thereof in accordance with a luminance level of the image to be displayed in the liquid crystal panel. Accordingly, a contrast rate of bright and dark portions increases to enable an image with a wide dynamic range to be displayed.
In addition, a display described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,837 (PTL 2) has a first optical modulator that allows light to focus on a rear projection screen, and a second optical modulator provided in the rear projection screen, thereby enabling an image with a wide dynamic range to be displayed by allowing the two optical modulators to modulate light.